


Good at the Cute Stuff

by RaspberryHeaven



Category: Love Live! School Idol Project
Genre: Being cute is a full time job, F/F, Female Characters, Female Relationships, Femslash, First Kiss, Fluff, Friendship to Love, Girls Kissing, Idols, Post-Canon, Romance, Treat, Tsunderes and kuuderes are meant to be
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-22
Updated: 2016-06-22
Packaged: 2018-07-16 14:31:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7271992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RaspberryHeaven/pseuds/RaspberryHeaven
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Maki really shouldn't have trusted Nozomi. But Nico is awfully good at the cute stuff.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Good at the Cute Stuff

**Author's Note:**

  * For [The_Plaid_Slytherin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Plaid_Slytherin/gifts).



"Maaaaaaaaki!"

A small figure, only not lost in the crowd because somehow it seems more _real_ than all the other idol hopefuls around her, as if she has more presence in her little finger than any of them could summon. A hand waving above the heads, in a way that seems too cute and girlish not to be at least a little calculated. Despite myself, I find my cheeks growing just a little pink at just how adorable it is. Then I get angry with myself for being vulnerable to Nico's cutesy routine, and that makes my cheeks redden even more, until embarrassment at the blushing makes me blush harder, until I'm uncomfortably conscious that my face must be absolutely burning red.

When Nico has bounced through the crowd to me, her big eyes narrow and she puts her hands on her slender hips, looking me up and down.

"Why are you wearing _that_?"

"What's wrong with it?" My tailored slacks and blouse are well cut, flattering and stylish, or so I thought when I picked them out. I'd taken altogether too much time choosing my outfit, because while we talk on the phone I haven't seen much of Nico since she went off to University, and I wanted her to think I looked... nice. Frustration makes my cheeks even hotter.

Of course, my outfit is not as cute as the getup Nico has on. A cheongsam style top, printed with pink hearts that mirror the heart-shaped maiden buns on her head. She was always good at styling hair. Cute matching shorts, giving as much of an illusion of long legs as a girl her size can manage, and long stockings breaking at exactly the right point to give an alluring glimpse of thigh. She looks adorable, I have to admit it. 

But after all, Nico is the one who is here to be looked at. I'm just here to watch and support, because Nozomi rang up and confided in me that Nico was terribly nervous about the open auditions for this agency, and was too proud to ask any of her friends to come along and support. My outfit is fine. It's not as if I'm the one auditioning.

"How do you expect to show off your dancing in _those_? Nozomi is right, you need all the help you can get!"

 _Nozomi._ I should have known better.

"Well, it can't be helped. I'll pick out your outfit for the call-ins. Just don't let me down!" Nico grabs my arm and pulls me towards the surge in the crowd. "Don't worry, Maki-chan. I'll cover for you if you're out of practice. No one can resist my charm!"

I pull back. "I'm not sure I want to audition after all. You have no business auditioning in the middle of University term, what if--"

"Don't you dare back out now, Miss Hot and Cold!"

"What do you _mean_?" But Nico is already flashing her brightest, most endearing smile at an attendant, and we are ushered into a group, and music is playing, and...

I guess I can't let her down. After all, once a school idol, always a school idol. Nico is already in motion, her discipline and training showing in every arc of her hips and movement of her hands, every blinding smile and pretty pose. I smile myself, and begin to dance, feeling as if her energy is infecting me.

Questions can wait.

* * *

"I wish Eli was here." Nico takes a big slurp of her juice. "Maybe the agency would want to sign us up as BiBi, that would be wonderful. I bet they couldn't resist the idol power of all three of us."

I feel a stab of discomfort. Maybe Nico would have preferred Eli to me after all. The third-years were always close at school, and after all, I'm two years younger, and still at school--a third-year myself, now. Nico probably thinks of me of just a kid. Which is ridiculous, watching her sitting there in the booth, her feet swinging above the floor, as if she was a little kid.

"It was only a general audition. We don't even know if we'll get a call-in, let alone a final audition." I feel the need to say it, even though Nico lit up the line in a way that made the others in our group look like the amateurs they are. I'm in pretty good condition myself, even if I don't shine like she does. I'm still keeping up with school idol activities, even with exams, and Hanayo is much more of a slave-driver than Honoka ever was, despite her deceptively mild manner. "I don't think I'll attend any further auditions."

"Ah, Maki, you need more confidence in yourself!" Nico beams at me. She has green foam from her juice on the tip of her nose. I lean across and brush it off.

For some reason, the touch jogs my memory. "What did you mean, Miss Hot and Cold?" I demand. 

"Oh, you know." For once, Nico looks discomfited. She looks down at her fingers, curled around her class. "One minute you act like you can't stand me. Next minute you're sobbing in my arms, _ohhh, Nico-chi, I can't be an idol without you, don't leave me, I lovvvvvve you. _" I splutter at this outrageous imitation, but before I can voice my objection, she goes on, "and then you get Nozomi to call me up to make sure I audition with you, and when I come, you pretend you don't even want to audition."__

__"Firstly, I said I didn't want to be in µ's without you, not that I didn't want to be a school idol anymore. Secondly, you were the one that made us promise to continue the Idol Research Club. Thirdly, Nozomi told me you were auditioning and wanted me here to support you--I was doing _you_ a favour. Fourthly, I never said I love you--" _ _

__I break off. Nico's skin is very white, except for her cheeks, which had two round spots of red, and her eyes, which are very big and round and dark, her pupils dilated._ _

__"You don't love me?" she asks, in a very small voice._ _

__"I didn't say that, either!" I flash._ _

__We stare at each for a long moment across the table._ _

__"Then the corners of Nico's mouth turn up, just a little, and the corners of her eyes as well. "You mean you do love me?"_ _

__"I never said that!"_ _

__Nico can move fast when she wants to. One minute she's in her seat, the next she's standing, hands slamming flat down on the table in front of her, leaning across. Her face is jammed close to mine, her nose a whisper from mine. I can actually feel the heat from her breath. I try to stare her down and not flinch back. How can there be so much intensity in such a small bundle?_ _

__"Nishikino Maki, do you or do you not love me?" She's practically hissing at me._ _

__I strive for a dignified response, one that will let us both leave this conversation with our friendship, and pride, intact. I take a deep breath, steady myself, and burst into tears, flinging my arms around her so hard that she loses her balance and falls half on top of the table._ _

__"You stupid, stupid Nico, your dream is to be an idol, and you can't be an idol and even have a boyfriend, Hanayo says idols have to be pure, they would be ruined if they ever kiss a girl and I don't want to ruin your dream, don't make me say it..." To my horror, I am wailing and sobbing and snuffling like a little girl. Nico's shoulder is wet with tears under my cheek. And shaking. Why is her shoulder shaking? "Are you giggling?"_ I demand. _

__I can feel a hand stroking my hair. "Silly Maki. You might be good at studying..."_ _

__"I care about your dreams! You work so hard!"_ _

__"And you love me," Nico says. I can hear the smugness radiating from her voice._ _

__"It isn't funny!" All those nights lying awake, agonising over how my senior would react if she knew how I felt. I should have known she would be smug and giggling. I pull away, grab my bag, and run._ _

____

* * *

"Maki. Maki, open the door."

My mother should never have let her in. I lie still and stare at the ceiling. My cheeks are stiff with dried tears. I say nothing.

"Oh, all right." I hear a bump and rustle of fabric, which I assume is her flopping to the floor outside my door. "Wow, Maki, you really are rich. Your house is incredible." There is a distinct keen of envy in her voice. "I love the lights. I wonder where your parents got them?"

"Is that all you came here to say?"

"No." I can hear the smirk in her voice, I swear I can, and I realise I took the bait. Nico can always get to me. "Now stop being stupid and open the door."

I hesitate, then I get up and open the door. I stand there, arms folded across my chest, and glare at her as she skips in as if she hadn't a care in the world. "Your room looks like an old lady's room. Are you really only eighteen?"

"It's not a pink little girl nightmare like yours. Are you really twenty?"

Nico grins at me, unabashed. "Close the door."

"No."

A small foot shoots out and my door bangs shut. "Right. Now we can talk." She looks up at me, her stare hard. Her hair is down, falling over her shoulders, and all I can think of is that ridiculous video where she pretended to be in love, murmuring "You like my hair down, don't you?" like the heroine of a TV drama. Her hair really is very pretty down. Black and shiny, and I know it is soft to touch. I keep my hands down at my sides.

"Maki, did you stop to think for one minute what I want? You're so selfish!"

The outrage takes my breath away. "I'm not being selfish! I'm protecting your dream!"

"You idiot. Didn't you think to ask if I love you? Well? Did you?"

"Well? Do you?" I echo back, furiously.

"Yes!"

"Well, good! At least now we're clear!"

We stand there. Her chest is heaving, her lips parted as her heavy breaths fight their way through, her face bright, her eyes shining.

"Yes. We're clear," she says in a small voice, and then she's in my arms, her hands at the back of my neck, and her mouth is slightly sticky with lipgloss and so, so sweet, and i don't care if it's a bad idea, I just want to kiss and kiss and kiss her and write songs about how it feels to kiss her and then kiss her again and she did really say she loves me, didn't she? I pull my mouth from her clinging lips.

"But you want to be an idol.".

"Yes. So do you." She's smiling, but there are tears in her eyes, and she looks so adorable that I feel like my heart is painfully melting.

"I--I think I do. I want to finish school first. And be a pianist and get a degree and--but that's not the point! You can't be an idol and love me!"

"Maki, you think you know everything, but you don't know as much of the idol business as I do. We'll find a way." There are little lights dancing behind her tears. Dancing. Nico always worked so hard at dancing, I think, stupidly. She isn't naturally very talented at dancing, or singing, or studying, or being a friend, or even at being cute, really, but she always works so hard.

"But Nico--"

"I want to be an idol. I will be an idol. I will bring joy and happiness and love to the word with my cuteness! And I will make you happy, Maki, most of all. The world needs my super-idol charm!" She pulls away, pirouettes, and poses. Nico-nico-nii!"

I glare at her. "I can't believe you're doing that pathetic routine at a time like this."

"You love it. Nico-nico-nii! You know you love it. You love _me._ "

"Nico..."

But what's the point? I do love her. She can be as smug as she likes as long as she stops dancing around and kisses me again. Maybe I should trust her, for once.

After all, Nico _is_ awfully good at the cute stuff.


End file.
